New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-11-02

could sh avel it out. The work stop
ped for a time. The surface Of the
earth above was a thick layer Of clay,
and Reese thought that by curvins3
the shaft upward until the clay waists
roof he could cross the sand bed and
then descend to a depth to bring them
underneath the fort. This delicate.
work was accomplished by Reese all
most alone. The possibility of being
heard by the Confed erates up. over
them while they worked close to that
shell Of q roof made this the most diff
fcult of all the operations. In fact
the work was heard, and the enemy
sent out men TO probe the ground
with Iona pixies, but our own marksmen
bothered them so much with bullets
that they failed to get their pixies into
the tunnel.
The commanding general now visit
ed the mine and complimented the
faithful miner for his triumph. From
that time forward the generals
began to have soldiers and
cannon ready to advance over
the wreck Immediately after the
explosion and secure the heights that
protected Petersburg. The enthusiasm
OF Reese extended over the regiment
at last, and willing workers came
from every company to help the haz-
ardous enterprise along. The immed-
late dangers were many, for the min
ers had reached the first line of Con.
federate breastworks where there were
hundreds of men and cannon and
horses over them, besides the concus-
sion Of the heavy cannonading con-
tinually shaking the whole region like
the tremors Of an earthquake. Should
the earth cave in upon the miners
they would be beyond reach Of succor
from our line and any who. survived
would be liable to execution at the
hands Of the. enemy, for although
mining is resorted to in all wars it is
outlawed by the recognized code, and
miners, like spies, forfeit their lives it
caught. Again, the enemy might de-
tect the work here and place torpedoes
with magazines in the way OF the tun-
nellers. Countermining was begun for
this purpose while the miners were
working under the main fort, but the
shafts made by the Confederates were
about twenty feet out ofthe way and
failed to detect the stealthy labors
going on so close at hand.
At length the estimated distance
had been tunneled and chambers were
prepared for the explosives. The
commander Of the army had put his
forces in readiness to go forward, and
all the attention was fixed on this
point. The patience of the leaders
was at full strain; the workmen in the
mine were exhausted, while yet they
were jubilant over the completion of
the task Suddenly it was seen that
nine yards had placed the chambers
outside tine Confederate fort and that
under it. The enterprise would fail.
So sensitive were all concerned be.
cause of the criticism and ridicule the
strange project had called forth that
there was not an officer with the
moral courage to face the chiefs and
reveal the unwelrome truth Reese
got men pledged for another effort
and then went to headquarters and
asked for three days to complete the
extensions. The new difficulty shat
tered the faith of the generals, but
the work was finished ahead OF time
and the powder was laid, and thus a
second time Reese had saved the
whole enterprise.
Now twenty thousand men with
cavalry and batteries were placed in
waiting, and at last it seemed as
though by a master stroke Lees
powerful walls and ornaments would
be shivered to useless mass. Peters
burg would fall and the goal OF three
years Of campaigning around Rich
mond would be reached, for Rich
mond AMI Petersburg must stand or
tall together.
The hour for the explosion was at
daylight. The army and every lead
er in it was awake awaiting for the
great event. The minute had moved
on fifteen, twenty minutes, and the
explosion did not come. Reese had.
lit the fuse. Gen Grant, the most
anxious Of them all, went personally
to the quarters OF Gen. Meade to
know the cause OF delay. The morn
ing's full light would reveal to Lee
those massed columns, and the move
ment OF surprise would be forestalled.
Gen. Meade sent two aids to Gen.
Burnside. In command OF the line at
the mine, and at Ais A. NJ. he tele-
graphed over special field wire laid
for the occasion. The dispatch read:
Is there any difficult in exploding the
mine? It is three. quarters OF an hour
late.
Hall a ton OF powder was packed in
cells beneath the fort and fuse run
ming throus h a powder trough was
burning slowly toward the fatal spot.
The long fuse had been spliced and
might burn unevenly. A delay of
even ten minutes now could defeat all.
At 4:2O Gen. Meade's message was re-
peated and at 4.35 one came still
more urgent stating that Gen. Grant
was waiting to know ii the mine could
not be exploded in order to determine
other projects OF assault. Following
that, within a minute, came an order
from Gen. Grant to make an assault
regardless of the NINE. Gen. Meade